LICENCE TO RAILWAYS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 242, 12 October 1937, Page 8

LICENCE TO RAILWAYS

New Road Passenger Service PREFERENCE TO STATE OPERATES [ Per Press Association. ] CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 11. ' A licence to operate a continuous passenger service between Culverden and Westport by way of Lewis Pass Road and Reefton, has been granted to the Railways Department oy tne reserved decision of the Licensing Authority for the No. 3 transport district, Mr. T. H. Langford, wnich was released to-day. ihe decision stipulates that the service is to be begun not later than December 1, 1937. The only other application considered was made by Mr. T. S. Patterson, of Reefton. A third application was withdrawn. The licence, which will expire on August 31, 1938, permits any of the vehicles operated by the department to be used for the service. Fares have been fixed at 45s ; ngle and 60s return. A schedule of charges for parcels to be carried by the passenger service is to be submitted to the Authority for approval at a later date. The application by the department was granted, the decision states, under the right given to the department under Section 27 of the Transport Licensing Act, 1931, which states that the Minister for Railways is to be

given preference over ail other applications if “there is no existing transport service over the route or routes mentioned in the application.”

The Act also stipulates that the proposed service is an extension of an existing service carried on by the applicant, a condition which the department undoubtedly satisfies, the decision says.

A further ground given in the decision is that where large sums of public mone> are expended in the construction of roads over new routes the public is entitled to all possible return for the expenditure and the Authority should therefore do no other than grant the licence to the Minister.